Brothers to the Death
|image = |date = May 2012 |author = Darren Shan |series = Mr. Crepsley |publisher = |pages = |previous = Palace of the Damned |succeeding = A Living Nightmare }} Plot The story begins with Larten Crepsley and his former love interest Alicia enjoying a leisurely stroll, whilst watching Larten's assistant Gavner Purl play with Alicia's daughter Sylva. After failing once again to renew their relationship, Larten informs Alicia that he and Gavner are about to embark on a mission concerning the Nazis. The mission, as it turns out involves the Nazis trying to gain the support of the vampire race (this happens before the Second Great War begins). A Vampire Prince named Mika Ver Leth has agreed to listen to the Nazis, and is accompanied by Larten, Gavner, and a female vampire named Arra Sails. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the Nazis disgust the group, and so Mika leaves Larten with a task. Helped by Gavner, Larten plays a cat-and-mouse game with the Nazis after the Nazis realize the vampires will not cooperate. The point of the chase is to distract them while all vampires emigrate out of Europe for safety. However, they meet up with Larten's old friend Wester who asks Larten to help him win support from the vampires in starting a war with the vampaneze, who are like vampires but always kill when they feed. Wester has had a grudge on them ever since his family was killed by one, and made it his mission to eradicate all vampaneze. Larten, who does not share the same hatred, refuses. Before leaving, Wester warns that a vampaneze named Randel Chayne may be looking for Larten, and that it is likely Chayne will target Alicia. Though troubled, Larten puts the fate of the vampire clan before his wishes and continues with the mission. Taking an interlude from the mission, Larten and Gavner visit Alicia and Sylva's home, only to find that Alicia was murdered. Sylva and Wester (as well as Larten himself) blame Larten for allowing this to happen. Larten and Gavner are sure Chayne killed Alicia. Larten manages to control Wester's rage (as Larten knows what it is like to experience loss and has let it make him make mistakes), and tells Gavner to protect Sylva and her husband-to-be while Larten finishes the mission. However, after the mission, a long search for Chayne produces no results. Larten decides that the only way to bring Chayne out of hiding is to help Wester trigger the war against the vampaneze. Larten's campaign begins successfully, but is ended when a Prince named Vancha March gets upsets and badly injures Larten in a duel, a duel that even though Larten loses, draws appreciation of Larten from the vampire clan. Upon recovering from his injuries, Larten resumes the search for Chayne, this time accompanied by his new mate Arra Sails. However, Larten pauses his search while he helps another vampire named Kurda help those injured by the Second Great War. After that, Larten attends a wedding lead by monks of an unknown religion. Larten admits to himself he is slightly envious of the monks' simple lifestyle. After once again continuing and failing his search for Chayne, Larten visits Sylva, and the two visit the freak show called Cirque Du Freak. Larten manages to resume a slot on the performance. On the last day of the show however, he is visited by Wester and Gavner, who give him the news that Larten has been elected to become a Prince. The good feelings end however, when Larten later finds Slyva crying. Sylva reveals to Larten that Alicia's murderer was not Chayne, but Wester. The news so shocks Larten that Larten tells Gavner to tell the princes that he refuses their request. Larten meets up with Wester, and demands an explanation. Wester reveals that he never had a doubt that Larten would eventually become a Prince. His campaign for war was failing when he met Larten during the Nazi mission, so he concoted a plot in which he would kill Chayne and Alicia, and make it appear that the former did the attrocity, which would instill a hatred of vampaneze in Larten. Larten's influence would eventually convince the two tribes into war. After the revelation, Larten kills Wester. Larten slips into a period of nihilism, and recovers when he stays for a while with the monks. Before he leaves, he is given a giant performing spider named Madam Octa by one of the monks. Larten the rejoins the freak show, where the circus owner adds a slot for Larten and his performing spider. The story ends with Larten waiting for a child named Steve, which begins the sequel series The Saga of Darren Shan. Trivia This book was originaly called Mr. Crepsley, as the author wanted to name the books on the basis of what Mr. Crepsley was called at that time. This was in the time that Mr. Crepsley finally started to use his real name, Larten Crepsley.